The Silver Knight's Tale
by Teotwaki
Summary: General Seth of Renais, the stoic Silver Knight, has been entrusted with safeguarding the future of Renais. With the fall of Renais on the horizon, the future is uncertain. How will honor and duty be his guide, when his heart strains towards feelings he has kept buried. As if love were not tempting enough, he must also resist otherworldly bargains. Sacred Stones AU, with a twist.
1. Chapter 1

Seth stood in the courtyard outside of the temple which serve as the predominant house of worship for the nation of Renais, but also as the housing shrine of the nation's sacred stone. Seth could remember coming here as just a boy, clasping his mother's hand and mouth agape at the beauty of such a reverent space.

While he was a firm believer in the Divines, he was by no means diligent in prioritizing the pilgrimages that the more devout followers made. Nevertheless, he was overjoyed that his knighting ceremony would be conducted here, alongside his fellow squires. They had been training and fighting tooth and nail just so they could make it to these hollowed steps, where the king awaited to induct them into the next chapter of their service to him, and to all of Renais.

All of this, in the glorious glow of the sacred stone.

Seth stood shoulder to shoulder with about twenty others waiting to enter. The sun glistened off of their armor, all of them having spent the whole night before, and some of the morning, cleaning it.

There had been jokes that it would spell an ill fate for a knight if his armor wasn't perfect on the day of his knighting, the Divines themselves taking offense.

Seth knew that while most of those jokes were just that, he couldn't help but feel an odd tremble deep down that the light of the stone may reveal some odd mistake in front of the king and forever mar his chances to serve.

But he let none of this fear show.

Some down the line shared his resolve, while others were somewhat less stoic.

Seth eyed them as best as he could without moving his head, not wanting to break decorum. The two next to him were the easiest to see, a stoic young man with locks of green hair, who he believed was named Kyle, and a blond squire with a ponytail whose face he couldn't quite see.

That is, until the blonde man suddenly pitched forward revealing a shocked, half-lidded expression, as if he had been startled from his sleep.

Seth and Kyle both started towards him, but thankfully the blonde man caught himself and quickly, bashfully, righted himself. They hesitated a moment to ensure he wouldn't fall again before falling back into line.

There was a smattering of laughter from the crowd that had gathered.

Seth heard Kyle angrily whisper, "Dammit Forde!"

"Watch your language in the presence of the Divines." Forde playfully chastised back.

Seth couldn't help but smile as he suppressed a laugh.

All noise however was immediately cut short when the captain of the king's guard appeared in the doorway to the inner area of the temple.

A few curt orders later and the line split in the middle and began marching into the sanctum. Because Seth was located at the end of the line he would be one of the last to be knighted, but he was fine with that. He had waited this long, he was willing to wait long enough to see the other squires be given their knighthood.

As they walked to the apex of the temple, they passed altars to the divines and statues dedicated to the heroes that had saved all of Magvel centuries ago.

As he walked, Seth sent up a short prayer that the divines would allow his service to Renais be equal to even a tenth of what these heroes had done for all of Magvel.

At the end of the line he waited, anxious but patient. He tried to empathize however, he would not want his audience with the king to be rushed either.

King Fado was known to be an honorable man, a valiant warrior, and a just king. His people loved him, his soldiers respected him, and the nations around Renais trusted him. Seth could scarcely believe that a man charged with leading a nation still made time to induct every knight that entered into his service.

His wait seemed to pass in a moment, yet simultaneously last an eternity.

But suddenly there were no longer squires ahead of him, only knights waiting to the side of their king. Seth walked forward, taking in everything before him.

The fresh knights wearing proud faces, smiles dancing just out of sight on their lips. Various nobility, they however appeared to be bored and ready to finish this whole ceremony. The clergy and retainers stood near the pedestal that held the sacred stone, its gemlike faces giving off a candescent glow.

Standing in the center of it all was King Fado, wielding the sacred blade Sieglinde.

Seth was taken aback by the kindness in that face, looking at Seth with the joy and pride as if he were his own son.

Seth approached and knelt before the king, head bowed.

A warm and wise voice said, "Lift your head, Seth."

In awe, Seth lifted his eyes. Slowly, fearing he misunderstood.

But gentle eyes looked down on him.

"Seth, my generals inform me that you are the most successful of your peers. Dedicated in training, diligent in your duties, the wit and wherewithal to succeed despite adversity, and a humility to rival even the most humble of the priests here today." Said the king, pointing his eyes at the clergy to emphasize his point. "What say you to this?"

Seth was blindsided by the king's words, his jaw opening and closing a few times before words began to come forth.

"I— I believe that his majesty flatters me well beyond that which I deserve. However, I do pray that I will someday become worthy of such praise." Seth struggled to keep his voice from faltering.

The king was silent, pondering Seth's words.

Resolve washed over his face, raising Sieglinde the king spoke once more.

"Do you swear to serve your king, and all his pursuits in the name of Renais? Do you swear to serve these peoples, their safety being the forefront of your concerns? Do you swear this before the divine Sacred Stone, for as long as Renais shall call on you to defend it?"

Seth, moved by these words, hardened himself and gave a reverent. "I shall."

King Fado then tapped both of Seth's shoulders. He then moved the blade to his left hand, offering his right to Seth.

"Then arise to answer the call, Sir Seth, Knight of Renais!"

Seth looked up at his liege and took his hand.

Standing for the first time, as a knight of Renais.

Several Years Later….

Seth, the Silver Knight and General of the Knights of Renais, stood in the streets leading up to the temple of the sacred stone, where he had been knighted. The citizens of Renais streamed past him towards it, desperately seeking refuge from the Grado onslaught.

Grado had launched a surprise attack on the nations southern front only a few short months ago, but already Emperor Vigarde's forces were at the gates of the capital city. Nestled into the side of a mountain and surrounded by walls that had stood for hundreds of years, the city would not fall easily.

Seth, who had been charged by King Fado with orchestrating its defenses would not allow it to fall as long as he still drew breath.

However, the safety of Renais' people took priority, and this would be vastly simplified by sequestering them in a place that was revered as holy by all in Magvel. The Temple of the Sacred Stone had suffered no attacks from enemy magicians, and besides the stray arrow or two, Seth expected that to remain the same.

Currently, he was overseeing the flow of citizens into the temple. The vast catacombs beneath it meant that there would be no shortage of space for the people. However, the need to keep order during the move was critical, a panic would be many times worse in such an enclosed space.

Seth walked briskly about, inspecting defenses and the soldiers that occupied them. Ordering improvements or adjustments as he deemed necessary. He was needed at several places around the city, oftentimes all at once.

He wanted to be sure that, should he be called away for an extended period of time, the defenses could withstand his absence.

He had no fear of the other knights and soldiers of Renais remaining strong in such circumstances, every one of their faces showed determination. Some were tired, in pain, or angry, but across all of them Seth could see their resolve. But he wanted them to have the definitive advantage over any Grado soldier that stepped foot within these walls.

However, the one place that Seth was not being called to, where he wished to be most, was the castle. It had suffered the most brutal magic attacks when the enemy first arrived. Seth had been there to see the fire and lightning rain upon the palace.

He had rushed to ensure the safety of King Fado and Princess Eirika, but no sooner had he entered the throne room was King Fado ordering him to get his people to safety.

That had been hours ago.

"General Seth! General Seth! Grado wyverns are coming!" A lone archer called from the top of a roof.

Activity in the courtyard came to a halt, waiting on the his direction.

"Which way do they fly?" He called up.

"They are bypassing the castle and flying directly towards us." The archer replied.

"What of our archers? Do they offer any resistance?" Seth called back.

"Afraid not sir, all our archers are currently targeting Grado mages from the walls. I'm the only one."

Well, if those archers can keep the heavens from falling on our heads, we will just have to hold the streets ourselves, Seth thought to himself.

"You will be more than enough. Find a good spot to dig in and provide support where you can. Call out to anyone who can hear if you see something."

The archer gave a quick nod and ran off to take up position.

"The rest of you! Take up defensive postures, guard the stragglers until everyone is inside the temple and then seal the doors! Do not get caught out in the open when those fliers get here." The Silver Knight barked.

A round of shouts and 'yes sir!'s filled the air.

Seth drew his sword and grabbed the shield he had set down at his spot along the barricades, nearest the doors to the temple. There were enough buildings and overhangs to provide cover for the civilians until they reached this courtyard, the steps before the temple doors being the most vulnerable.

He doubted the enemy would outright attack those who were unarmed, but any losses or captured citizens would be unacceptable.

"General! They are upon us!"

Seth turned his eyes up, thankful the glare of the sun didn't make it harder to see from under his helmet.

He was not sure what he had expected, maybe half a dozen wyvern riders making a break to harass their defenses. What he saw approaching was almost two dozen wyverns, and many of them appeared to be carrying additional soldiers with them.

Seth glanced around before spotting a soldier acting as a runner between the several different defense points across the city.

"You! Runner! Get over here." Seth ordered, being careful to keep his tone even. "Go to the wall, start at the western side, get me two archers and a mage from the first three segments of the wall. Then, carry on down the wall and inform the commanders to spread out and fill in the gaps. Repeat that back to me."

He repeated the message back verbatim and Seth sent him on his way.

Seth quickly called out to the soldiers around him, "Protect these steps! Hold until support arrives! Fight for King Fado! Fight for Renais!"

"For King Fado! For Renais!"

Six of the main body peeled off and began landing a few streets away, possibly to drop the soldiers they had carried in. Seth reckoned it to be where the market had been.

Seth eyed the grounds and the size of the smallest wyvern. He figured that only six of them could fit in the courtyard at a time.

Seth readied himself and waited for the charge.

It was not a long wait.

Three wyverns charged the defenses, the rider's spears poised.

An arrow flew into the neck of the one on the left, sending both wyvern and rider plummeting into a building. The right rider pulled his wyvern about, fearing more archer. The middle rider continued his steep dive directly at Seth.

Seth raised his shield and waited. He knew his shield would not withstand a full charge, but he didn't need it to.

At the last possible moment, Seth angled his shield so the lance only glanced off its face. He allowed the force that did transfer into his shield to turn him, allowing him to drive his sword up and through the dragon's head.

The two crashed onto the steps behind him with a sickening crunch of bone and armor.

Neither moved from their forced landing.

Grado wyvern riders could attack at nearly any angle with no fear of the ground being the cause of their death, such was the skill of their wyverns. But Seth could see this courage waning in the force that had come.

The failure of these is sure to cause at least some hesitation, Seth thought.

Five lined up this time and attacked once more with similar results. Two dying to arrows, one to Seth's blade, and two riders were killed by javelins; their mounts fleeing with their limp bodies.

The wyvern riders hovered there now, ominous silhouettes against the sky.

Seth couldn't get a read on them. they knew exactly where to position themselves; outside of archer range, silhouetted against the sun, and spread out enough to not reveal where the next attack my come from.

Seth wondered why they were waiting so long, not leaving or attacking.

But then Seth saw six more wyverns join the formation.

And they were no longer weighed down with Grado troops.

Seth saw the ground force rounding the corner of the street that led up to the courtyard.

Just then, a shadow ran up the street, across the courtyard, over the barricade, and then stopped underneath one of Seth's soldiers. The man looked down and then back up, bewildered.

Then the shadows erupted out of the ground, piercing his body like blackened blades.

Seth called out to his men, "Shaman! Shaman! Point him out when you see him!"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So, i kinda jacked up the initial posting of this story. SO, i am posting the second chapter now as an apology for my screw up. Very sorry, hope you all enjoy. I would love to hear your thoughts on this new story. :)

Seth called out to his men, "Shaman! Shaman! Point him out when you see him!"

Seth scanned the group and counted about ten men. But all of them brandished lances, axes, and swords.

Not a magic user among them.

Then he saw it.

A shadow flickered across the ground behind the Grado soldiers, coming from an alley.

It was heading straight towards Seth.

He stood his ground once more.

The inky circle flew across the ground, aiming for his feet, but Seth was prepared.

He held out his shield so that it cast a large shadow directly in front of him.

The attacking shadow merged into this one. Seth watched the edge of the shadow, and he spotted a nearly imperceptible ripple along the edge of the shields shadow.

Seth quickly withdrew his arm, inky spikes once again shooting up but grasping only air.

Seth had trained with the court magicians tirelessly, of all schools of magic. Those of the blade were at a severe disadvantage against those of the tome. Seth had sought tirelessly for a solution, or at least a means of evening the odds. The only answer that he could find was to be smarter than the mage you were fighting.

"Hold here! Do not let those wyverns reach me." He called over his shoulder as he vaulted the barricade.

Shield at the ready, Seth made a daring decision.

He charged.

This mage was modifying the use of normal spell tomes, targeting Seth and his men from a much further distance than was recommended. All the mages Seth spoke to said that typical tomes were meant to target individual targets from a linear distance of about twenty meters, maximum. However, these spells could be modified to achieve different results.

Seth recognized the inky ball as belonging to the school of dark magic, he guessed it to be an incantation found in a Flux tome. Unmodified, it should conjure a sphere of pure darkness that lashes out with black, tar-like tendrils.

Because this version seemed to latch onto shadows, but didn't get caught on any of the shadows in between, Seth had to assume it followed the sight of the caster. That means that if he were in the thick of Grado troops, the mage wouldn't risk targeting his own comrades aiming for Seth. Hopefully, if all his deductions proved true, he would yet live and his men would hold the temple.

Seth met the group in a narrow arch across the courtyard, forcing his enemies to come at him three at a time.

The first three seemed confident that Seth had charged to his death.

Two axe wielding fighters to at his right and center, and a soldier carrying a lance and shield at his left. Seth slowed his charge but kept his shield raised.

Seth had the reach advantage against the two axes, but the lance had at least a foot length on him.

An attack would leave him too open, he would have to wait for a counter.

He eyed each man, looking for openings.

The two fighters were big burly men, covered in scars and hair cropped short. They were also practically seething with anxious energy, ready to begin the bloodletting.

The soldier looked nervously between Seth and the fighters.

The Silver Knight remained as still as stone.

The right fighter released a guttural howl and swung wildly, his compatriots a half step behind him. What happened next, took only seconds.

Seth made deft sidestep in the direction of the howl, bringing his sword up in an arc.

The right fighter's axe and hand fell to the ground,

Seth allowed the arc to continue as he stepped towards the other two. He waited for the arc to turn upward before adjusting the angle so the blade to slide underneath the second fighter's ribs.

Needing a moment to allow his blade to shed the body that lingered on it, Seth deflected the lance that had been aimed at his chest. He countered by bashing the edge of his shield against the soldier's head.

This dazed him long enough for Seth to bring his blade into a position for a cross slash, easily beheading the soldier.

It was at this moment the fighter who had lost his hand began screaming. Seth condemned him by knocking him out with the broadside of his shield, allowing him to bleed out on the stones, and then took up position against those who remained.

Three soldiers with lances charged him at once. Seth maneuvered within the arch to keep them from surrounding him, but he was strictly defensive this time.

These three knew how to attack as one, attacking at once or precisely delayed in such a manner that did not allow for a safe attack.

Suddenly, an arrow sailed over Seth's shoulder and sunk itself into the neck of one of the soldiers, who stumbled away grasping desperately at his neck.

No longer able to maintain the assault they had pressed before, Seth gained the upper hand. In short order, their bodies fell to the ground.

As he had fought these soldiers, half of those outside the arch had disappeared. The only ones left were two swordsman, both of them not wearing the standard Grado dress and instead wearing two red strips of fabric on their heads and waists.

Seth figured they were mercenaries of Jehanna.

The desert nation had not reportedly taken a side when the fighting broke out, and Seth doubted that had changed. However, Jehanna had the largest mercenary guild in the continent residing in its borders, it would not surprise him if Grado had bolstered their ranks with such as these.

The average foot soldier was clearly lacking in training and skill, likely conscripted. Seth was confident in his skill, but this was clearly an unfair fight.

Why are they rushing their people into this?

Seth couldn't yet come to an answer he was sure of.

Seth exited the arch, his choke point no longer viable due to the bodies that now littered the ground. Neither of these two made a move towards him, instead they calmly waited for him to come closer.

He could tell these two were a completely different breed of fighter just by looking at them.

Seth was surprised when one of them spoke.

"Who are you?" One asked, he had long hair that flowed freely around his shoulders.

Seth stopped to weigh the risk and reward of answering a moment before responding, "General Seth of Renais."

The other spoke up this time, his hair cut down to the skin on the sides and long on top, "The Silver Knight?"

Seth had accepted the honorific that the knights had given him but for these dogs of war, that had intended to charge a temple full of unarmed civilians, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

But Seth didn't allow his emotions betray him, simply saying, "That is correct."

The two looked at each other. Both of them stepping towards him, the one with long hair spoke up.

"Ya know, there is quite a hefty bounty on your head?"

"A nice chest of gold in it for anyone that brings in your head."

Seth looked between the both of them, "Its a shame neither of you shall be able to collect it."

The two smirked but didn't speak anymore.

Drawing their swords, they began to circle Seth.

Seth readied his stance and waited for the right moment. They had to be in the perfect position before he could make his move.

When they were both a few feet away on his flanks, perfectly perpendicular, he began.

He ran a deadman's sprint right up the middle beyond the swordsmen, and beelined for the alley where he had seen the mage duck into.

Seth had seen the shadows fly by him as he fought the others, every one of them could have meant the end of one of his men.

He would remedy that.

He rounded the corner and ran head long into the mage, who fell to the ground.

Seth simply stared at his opponent.

A frail, old man lay on the ground. The fabric of his cloak pooled around his thin frame, adding to his difficulty as he tried to stand.

Seth hesitated, feeling a struggle rising up inside him.

The struggle ended as soon as the old man's eyes met Seth's, carrying enough malice that it shocked Seth.

Seth stabbed at the magicians unarmored chest. A purple shimmer wrapped around the old man and suddenly he was gone. Seth's sword found only air.

Seth heard a crackling sound behind him, he recognized it as the static of pooling dark magic. He spun, shield at the ready.

There the old man stood, at the entrance to the alley, a ball of darkness in his hand. Arcs of purple lightning shimmered around its edges. In his other hand was a black book, incandescent runes hovering over the pages.

Seth remained poised, he wanted to test some of his 'other' preparations.

The black orb dripped from the old man's hand, creating several thick strands that began slinking across the ground towards Seth.

Seth feinted a step forward and one of the tendrils erupted into a single jagged spike and struck his shield.

But instead of piercing his shield, the spike shattered like glass and the shards seemed to evaporate.

A part of outsmarting your opponent involved preparing better than they did. Renais had begun enchanting equipment shortly after Grado had invaded, and had begun to distribute them among the ranks. However, due to the amount of time and resources required to enchant even a single shield, priority had been given to the most critical fighters and leaders.

And judging by the look of fear and confusion on the shaman's face, this information had not become common knowledge for Grado forces.

Seth rushed forward, batting away the dark spikes as they erupted at him.

The old man put his hands together, trying to create another dark orb.

A small blotch, the size of a stone formed, just before Seth's sword pierced it, and the old man.

Seth pushed him off his blade before delivering a second fatal blow.

Seth's reasoning was that no soldier should suffer unduly, and the hatred in that man's eyes made Seth suspect he would have tried to rally had he not finished him.

Seth started to exit back onto the street, his sword raised. The two mercenaries had not followed him down the alley, and he suspected they would be waiting to claim Seth's head. Dead or alive.

However, he was shocked to find that a lesser general of Renais was dispatching them, he could not recognize who exactly due to the helmet. The long haired swordsman lay dying near the general, a massive hole in his sternum. The other was not injured, and was moving erratically to dodge the massive chain lance that occasionally whipped by.

The swordsman would wait until the lance sailed by, close the distance and take a swing, but each attack would glance off the thick armor of the general. Before he could make a more precise jab at a weak point, the general would have recoiled their lance, forcing him back.

Judging by the perspiration on the mercenary's face, this had been going on for a moment.

The swordsman circled again waiting.

The general adjusted their stance, telegraphing the attack, but Seth thought the stance was somewhat off.

The lance flew, way off target, the swordsman rushed in. Seth began running to assist, the general's flank was exposed in this position.

But then the general pivoted and began recoiling the chain, effectively lassoing the mercenary. His arms trapped, he could do nothing but struggle as he was reeled. Then, in one swift motion, the much larger knight grabbed him by the head and neck, and made a quick wrenching motion.

The body twitched a moment before going limp.

Placing his heavy boot on the lower abdomen, he disentangled his lance and chain from the body.

The general then turned and dipped their head to Seth, and a somewhat muffled, feminine voice addressed him, "General Seth, well done in your defense of the temple. However, King Fado has ordered you to return to the throne. I am to relieve you of your station."

Seth was relieved to receive the summons he had been waiting all day on.

"Understood, thank you for your assistance. But I must first assist my men in repelling the wyvern attack."

"Not to worry, sir. I brought with me a few of my own troops, among them were mages and archers. The situation should be well in hand." She explained.

"Perfect, I entrust the remainder of my forces to you. Keep the people safe." Seth said, turning to go.

"Godspeed, sir!"


End file.
